Tracy Morgan makes surprise return to the Emmys, cracks joke on stage

September 21, 2015

There were several grab-a-tissue moments at Sunday night's
Emmy Awards, but one of the most special parts of the show was the surprise
appearance of
Tracy Morgan. The former
30 Rock star, who suffered a traumatic brain injury in a car accident that killed one of his friends last year, presented
the last award of the evening and got a standing ovation from the audience.

Tracy Morgan and wife Megan Wollover Photo: Getty Images

Tracy, who was in a coma for eight days and was confined to
a wheelchair for months after a June 2014 crash on the New Jersey Turnpike,
walked out onto the stage unassisted. "Thanks to the amazing doctors and
the support of my family and beautiful wife, I'm here. Standing on my own two
feet," he told the crowd, which included former co-stars and friends such
as
Tina Fey and Jane Krakowski.

The
Saturday Night Live alum, 46, attended the prime-time television
awards in Los Angeles with
his new wife, Megan Wollover, and their daughter,
Maven, 2, who looked adorable in a black dress with a feathered skirt and
matching cat shoes and bag.

"God bless all of you for your love, prayers and
thoughts for the past 15 months," Tracy told the audience. "I'm
honored to be at the Emmys. It's been a long road back. I suffered a traumatic
brain injury that put me in a coma for eight days, and I finally regained
consciousness. I was ecstatic to learn that I wasn't the one that messed
up!"

Showing that he hadn't lost his characteristic sense of humor,
Tracy, who'd clowned around with his family on the red carpet and displayed his
belly for photographers, also said that he'd only recently begun to feel like
himself again, which he joked meant "a whole lot of women are gonna get
pregnant at the afterparty!"

Tracy, who
married Megan last month in an emotional ceremony
in New Jersey, is set to host
Saturday Night Live on October 17. He posted a photo with Emmy winner Jon Hamm on Twitter after the award show, writing,
"Man it feels good to be back!!! Love you all!"

He wasn't the only one to make a triumphant return to the
spotlight.
Sandra Lee, who has been battling breast cancer, walked the red
carpet in a pale pink gown with a plunging neckline on Sunday night.

Sandra Lee Photo: Getty Images

The TV chef, who was diagnosed earlier this year and
underwent a double mastectomy in May, had follow-up surgery last month for
complications. She posted an update on her condition on Facebook on Sunday,
writing that she was excited to be back.

The Food Network star explained that she needed a little
time to herself in the past few weeks because, "The last
infection threw me a bit and I decided to focus and redirect all my energies
internally. I physically and emotionally just needed to be silent and still
while I healed. This has been an unreal chain of events in my life. I am still
stunned, still digesting and still processing everything that has taken place
this past year."

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